Trump administration staff departures

President Donald Trump says that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year, extending the historically high turnover in the top ranks of his administration.

On Friday, Trump announced a new US attorney general and a new US ambassador to the United Nations, and on Saturday he nominated Army General Mark Milley to replace Marine General Joseph Dunford as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Trump's White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution think tank.

Here are some senior figures who have been fired or quit the administration since Trump took office on January 20, 2017.

2018

* John Kelly - A White House official said Trump has been in discussions for months with Nick Ayers, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, about replacing Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who was hired to bring order to the chaotic Trump White House but ultimately fell out with his boss.

* Matthew Whitaker - Trump said he will nominate William Barr to be attorney general, replacing Whitaker, who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions in the top Justice Department post. He immediately came under scrutiny over past remarks critical of a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and any collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. As acting attorney general, Whitaker took over supervision of the probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Some lawmakers worried Trump might order Whitaker to undermine the inquiry, fears that Trump allies called unwarranted. The Senate must confirm any nominee for attorney general; Democrats immediately voiced concerns about Barr.

* Jeff Sessions - After months of being attacked and ridiculed by the president, the former senator was forced out on November 7.

* Nikki Haley - She said on October 9 that she would step down at the end of the year as US ambassador to the United Nations. On Friday, Trump put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as her successor, also subject to Senate review.

* Don McGahn - Trump said in August the White House counsel would leave amid strains between the two over the Mueller probe.

* Scott Pruitt - The Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5 under fire over a series of ethics controversies.

* David Shulkin - White House officials said on March 28 that the Veteran Affairs secretary would resign.

* HR McMaster - The national security adviser was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton.